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With so many cat food blends on the market, how are you supposed to know which cat food is best? This By Nature Organic Turkey & Chicken Cat Food review is for you. Be sure to compare this blend to other By Nature cat food blends as well as other brands of cat food.
By nature is a company that produces organic cat food formulas. The By Nature Organic Turkey & Chicken wet cat food formula is one of the organic formulas under the By Nature brand. The company claims that this organic formula is made with 100% organic ingredients. With all the hype revolving around this cat formula, and organic food in general, it is only natural to wonder if it really delivers on its promise.
This review is meant to unearth whether this formula is as good as the manufacturer claim it is.
Ingredients in By Nature Organic Turkey & Chicken Wet Cat Food
Organic Turkey, Organic Chicken, Water, Organic Pea Flour, Organic Guar Gum, Dicalcium Phosphate, Organic Locust Bean Gum, Potassium Chloride, Calcium Carbonate, Taurine, Salt, Choline Chloride, Zinc Proteinate (Chelated Source of Zinc), Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate (Chelated Source of Copper), Sodium Selenite, Manganese Proteinate (Chelated Source of Manganese), d-Calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin A Acetate, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Biotin, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Menadione Dimethylpyrimidinol Bisulfite.
According to the By Nature website, all the ingredients in this formula have been formulated to meet the strict AAFCO guidelines for the manufacture of organic cat formulas.
Top 5 Ingredients Breakdown
When examining any cat food blend, it is always important to pay attention to the top 5 ingredients as this makes up the vast majority of the nutritional content in the food.
Organic Turkey
Chicken is a very popular ingredient for pet food and in this case, they are referring to whole chicken. This is a very high quality meat source and we are pleased to see it listed. In dry cat foods, whole chicken loses about 80% of its content during the cooking process. This is because chicken consists of about 80% moisture. After the cooking process is complete, the amount of whole chicken remaining is substantially reduced. However, in wet cat foods the cooking process is a bit different so this is much less of a concern.
Organic Chicken
Chicken is a very popular ingredient for pet food and in this case, they are referring to whole chicken. This is a very high quality meat source and we are pleased to see it listed. In dry cat foods, whole chicken loses about 80% of its content during the cooking process. This is because chicken consists of about 80% moisture. After the cooking process is complete, the amount of whole chicken remaining is substantially reduced. However, in wet cat foods the cooking process is a bit different so this is much less of a concern.
Water
As you might expect, water is mostly added for moisture and cooking purposes. It does not add any nutritional value to the food.
Organic Pea Flour
Peas are becoming more and more common in pet foods today, especially those listed as grain-free, holistic, or natural pet foods. While peas are certainly not grains, they serve much the same purpose. It mostly acts as a filler and a cheap way to increase the protein percentage of the food. However, cats receive almost no nutritional value from peas. Since cats are obligate carnivores, they require proteins from meat based ingredients. There is very little research that has been performed on the long term effects of cats consuming peas. We do know that peas can cause runny poop or digestion issues in dogs, but the full effect on cats remains a bit of an unknown. Since the peas in this case are added as a flour, the ingredient is probably added to help with the consistency of the food and the cooking process.
Organic Guar Gum
This ingredient is also sometimes called guaran. It is primarily the ground endosperm of guar beans. The guar seeds are dehusked, milled and screened to obtain the guar gum. It is typically produced as a free-flowing, off-white powder. This ingredient is mostly used to thicken the food and give it more texture. It is an FDA-approved, all natural GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) ingredient used by the food and cosmetic industries. It also is used to improve the shelf life of the food and helps lower the glycemic index of food. Many cat food companies claim this ingredient also aids in digestion and weight loss. There is some minor debate about the benefits of this ingredient with some claiming negative impacts, but in general, this is thought to be a relatively non-nutritious yet safe ingredient.
Additional Ingredients Of Interest In By Nature Organic Turkey & Chicken Cat Food
Taurine
Taurine is an essential amino acid that is critical for normal heart muscle function, vision, and reproduction in cats. Since cats are unable to create proper levels of taurine in their body naturally, it must be supplemented in their food. That’s why you’ll see this ingredient listed for so many different cat food blends. For cat foods that contain enough high quality animal based proteins, a taurine supplement may not be needed. However, most cat foods will need to add in additional taurine in the form of a supplement to the food. Even when included as a supplement instead, there is very low to almost zero health risk associated with this ingredient. In fact, a lack of taurine can cause a slew of issues, so it’s very important to make sure your cat is receiving enough taurine in his or her diet.
Choline chloride
Like humans and many other species, cats require choline. Almost all commercial pet food blends will contain supplemental choline. This ingredient mostly helps with cell function.
Salt
Salt is necessary for a cats body to function properly, but too much salt can be dangerous and even deadly. Usually, salt is added to pet food in order to meet AAFCO nutritional requirements. Salt, or sodium chloride, is indeed necessary so cat food that doesn’t contain enough will have a bit of it included. Salt helps your cats cells move nutrients and waste products where they need to go, and it helps his or her tummy make the right amount of acid to digest food properly. According to the Journal of Nutrition, average-sized cats need about 21 milligrams of salt per day. Many cat foods have higher concentrations than that. The National Research Council recommends no more than 42 milligrams per day. Most of the time, salt in commercial cat food products poses no danger and does have some nutritional benefit.
Folic acid
This is a vitamin of the B complex, found especially in leafy green vegetables, liver, and kidney. It is vital for red blood cells and for many other cells in the body. There are no known issues concerning this ingredient adversely effecting cats.
Allergy Risk With By Nature Organic Turkey & Chicken Cat Food
This formula contains no soy, wheat or corn. These three ingredients are the most common ingredients known to cause allergic reactions in cats and other pets. While there are a couple ingredients that a small number of cats may have issues digesting, overall, the allergy risk in this cat food is pretty low.
Conclusion
Most cat owners rave about this cat food and claim their cats are living a happy and healthy life on it. We are always happy to see organic ingredients used in cat food and are pleased the top two ingredients are high quality meat sources. However, we feel the protein content in this food is comprised of too much pea flour. Overall, we believe this is an above average cat food and we don’t see any major issues to be concerned with.
